Silly cable question

Hi [@mention:1566878603971756]. This would be a 'lavender' interconnnect carrying audio only. And yes, a highline would be the next Naim cable upgrade. 

There is no upgrade needed! The NAT05 sounds the most Naimlike with the lavender cable. 

Don't dismiss the standard lavender/grey interconnect too lightly. It's good. Very good. And really seems to perform way beyond its modest appearance, especially with analogue sources.

What he said. The standard/free Naim Lavender/Grey interconnect has a lot going for it....!!  As have the Chord similar (?) cables - Chrysalis I think - long discontinued...?

If only they came is a shiny box and cost more, people would believe in them.....!!

The lavender cable as stated is very good VFM. However for the record I put my HiLine onto the NAT05 having bought a SL for the digital source/nDAC./552. Again very good results, but with a wider deeper soundstage with music programme material. I can't say I would have bought a HiLine specifically for the NAT05, but it was an improvement. Can you audition one before buying one?

Great feedback guys, tnx!

I must admit, this - in Naim terms -  'modest' NAT05 tuner continues to amaze me year after year. I'm lucky to get a good FM signal via cable (had a Dynalab ST-2 too) and with live broadcasts the soundquality is really amazing. 

Not the best but my most used source nonetheless!!

I did a 4-5 Hiline with a PSU'd Stageline for a long time. At one point I went back to the standard grey/lavender and found some healthy grit and drive the Hiline may have been masking with it's "sophisticated" signature. As Richard says, for analog sources don't dismiss the humble grey. For digital, the Hiline.

joerand posted:

I did a 4-5 Hiline with a PSU'd Stageline for a long time. At one point I went back to the standard grey/lavender and found some healthy grit and drive the Hiline may have been masking with it's "sophisticated" signature. As Richard says, for analog sources don't dismiss the humble grey. For digital, the Hiline.

The majority of forum members do seem to prefer the lavender 4-5 DIN cable on the end of a vinyl source to the HiLine. I also use lavender on my Stageline and based on performance and views expressed haven't felt the need to go for the HiLine. However I have kept the HiLine on the NAT05 for reasons previously stated.

Chord do some great din cables

Richard Dane posted:

Don't dismiss the standard lavender/grey interconnect too lightly. It's good. Very good. And really seems to perform way beyond its modest appearance, especially with analogue sources.

Hi Richard

When you say especially with analogue sources, Is the Lavender good for digital sources?

I do understand Digital sources offer more bandwidth, but analog sources have more fluidity...

Bob the Builder posted:

Chord do some great din cables

An alternative suggestion for cables or a nod that Chord built the greys back in the day?

KTMax, Good that you're back. How are the Cardas speaker wires and different mains cables that you list, when compared with Naim's stock items?

Chris

KTMax posted:

The grey cable that came with my NAT05 tuner is a 5 pin cable but is this a SNAIC 5 or is that a different cable? 

.........  as no one else has answered that question;  its a signal only InterConnect (IC) with 180 degree 5 pin configuration  

SNAIC-5 has a 240 degree pin configuration & carries power & signal.       

Love my NAT-05 too,    

analogmusic posted:

Richard Dane posted:

Don't dismiss the standard lavender/grey interconnect too lightly. It's good. Very good. And really seems to perform way beyond its modest appearance, especially with analogue sources.

Hi Richard

When you say especially with analogue sources, Is the Lavender good for digital sources?

I do understand Digital sources offer more bandwidth, but analog sources have more fluidity...

Yup, great also with digital sources - after all it was good enough for the CDS, CDS2 and CDS3 before the Hi-line came along.

I'm just a little less convinced by the advantage of the Hiline over the standard lavender/grey interconnect when it comes to analogue sources, particularly Stageline, Prefix et al..

Christopher_M posted:

KTMax, Good that you're back. How are the Cardas speaker wires and different mains cables that you list, when compared with Naim's stock items?

Chris

Hi Chris, tnx and it feels good to be back too. 

Geez, a short sentence question but the answer has shown to be a can of worms all too often. It would take me pages to describe what I think is better and I'll likely unleash a wave of the typical responses about PRAT, the Naim sound, just different not better etc. etc. etc. we've read too many times. I don't go there anymore. 

Before the arrival of the Hi-Line and Power-Line 'different' cables, regardless what, were forbidden colors. Worshipped by heretics that needed to be smoked out of the woods and beaten some sense into. My ears did, and still do, tell me very different. But things have changed for the better since Naim introduced their line of fine high-end / audiophile cables. 

Cables, mains (my 'favorite') and signal, can make or break any system, Naim included.

Richard Dane posted:

analogmusic posted:

Richard Dane posted:

Don't dismiss the standard lavender/grey interconnect too lightly. It's good. Very good. And really seems to perform way beyond its modest appearance, especially with analogue sources.

Hi Richard

When you say especially with analogue sources, Is the Lavender good for digital sources?

I do understand Digital sources offer more bandwidth, but analog sources have more fluidity...

Yup, great also with digital sources - after all it was good enough for the CDS, CDS2 and CDS3 before the Hi-line came along.

I'm just a little less convinced by the advantage of the Hiline over the standard lavender/grey interconnect when it comes to analogue sources, particularly Stageline, Prefix et al..

Interesting, as I was pondering replacing the 'grey' from the Prefix with a 'black' or a Hi-Line. My dealer thought it would be a worthwhile upgrade.

By "black" do you mean the SNAIC on the Prefix?? If so then that's a really worthwhile upgrade but I think the change is a back to factory job, and the RF m odd are down fro the Prefix at the same time.

Richard Dane posted:

By "black" do you mean the SNAIC on the Prefix?? If so then that's a really worthwhile upgrade but I think the change is a back to factory job, and the RF m odd are down fro the Prefix at the same time.

Sorry, that was unclear. No, I mean the cable from the Prefix HiCap to the NAC. My Prefix is a late model with integral black SNAIC.

Mike-B posted

 

...... as no one else has answered that question;  

- its a signal only InterConnect (IC) with 180 degree 5 pin configuration

- SNAIC-5 has a 240 degree pin configuration & carries power & signal.       

Thank you Mike, clear as bell. 

Loki posted:

Richard Dane posted:

By "black" do you mean the SNAIC on the Prefix?? If so then that's a really worthwhile upgrade but I think the change is a back to factory job, and the RF m odd are down fro the Prefix at the same time.

Sorry, that was unclear. No, I mean the cable from the Prefix HiCap to the NAC. My Prefix is a late model with integral black SNAIC.

Ah, OK, in which case there is no "black" here, except the black cable in the Hi-Line.  However, on the Prefix with PSU I prefer to use the 4-5 grey/lavender interconnect.

Sounds like audition time then!